J Korean Soc Clin Toxicol.  2021 Jun;19(1):44-50. 10.22537/jksct.2021.19.1.44.

Effect of ETCO2 monitoring of poisoning patients with decreased mental state in ED

• Kwon YH
• So BH
• Jeong WJ

• KMID: 2525862
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.22537/jksct.2021.19.1.44

Abstract

Purpose
This study aimed to analyse the effect of End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide (ETCO2) monitoring on patients who had been poisoned and presented in the emergency department with decreased consciousness.
Methods
The data of patients over 18 years old presenting with poisoning from 2016 to 2020 was collected from the emergency department. We retrospectively analyzed their medical records, and defined patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 9 or less as having decreased consciousness. We divided the patients into two groups, one with ETCO2 monitoring and the other without, and the difference between the two groups was compared.
Results
168 patients participated in this study and 83 (49.4%) of them belonged to the ETCO2 monitoring group. In this group, the interval between arterial blood tests was statistically significantly longer and the rate of intubation was lower. In addition, in the monitoring group, the incidence of pneumonia and the rate of poor prognosis was not significantly higher.
Conclusion
Although ETCO2 monitoring does not directly affect the prognosis of poisoned patients with decreased consciousness, it should be actively done as it can help to adequately treat patients while avoiding invasive techniques or unnecessary intubation.

Keyword

Poisoning; Consciousness; Intubation